Concerning Halfbloods
by justagirlwithideas
Summary: Concerning her passion. His secrets. Her pain. His mistakes. Their most jealously guarded thoughts. Too much remains unknown about our favorite demigods and this is an endeavor in the form of one-shots to change that.
1. A List of Problems

**This is a one-shot on the life of Thalia leading up to her pushing Luke off Mount Tam. Please read & review!**

**Disclaimer: My name is not Rick. I am not a guy. Put the clues together.**

Enter Thalia Grace. A hot-headed runaway starting to doubt every decision she ever made. She's angry at life- everything and everyone in it- and was convinced that she could run away from her problems. Well couldn't she? Because every problem she had kept coming back to the drunken mom that was never home. No, she was sure she had left all her problems behind. The only problem was, she had made so many more.

Enter Luke Castellan. An angry boy with sorrow, confusion and rage boiling inside- causing him to leave his home and deranged mother behind. He can never go back. If he did- well no, he wouldn't. He'd never have to see that piercing green light behind his mother's eyes ever again. Fate intended for the two kids to cross paths. Another issue for Thalia's growing list of problems.

Enter Annabeth Chase. A small, scared, but determined little girl who needs Luke and Thalia's help. The three of them form a family. They grow to care about each other. And Thalia can tell them anything and everything, about the life she's ran away from and the new, exciting life she's run into.

Luke listens best to Thalia- his blue eyes so sincere, so understanding, that Thalia almost hands her entire heart to him. Once or twice, they even share a passionate kiss. Thalia loves and cares for him so much it almost frightens her- she'd be willing to die in his place. And so she does. You could probably agree that this is another problem to add to Thalia's list.

Enter Percy Jackson. His green eyes are the first thing she sees when she exits a tunnel of blue light. She's alive again. He's reassuring her she's alright. She tells them who she is. And then an innocent question pops into her head: where is Luke?

Where is Luke? The question would tear her heart in two. She couldn't run away from the problem. There is no way one can hide from the truth. And so she ran away from everything and anything that reminded her of him- deeper and deeper into the forest she ran- and sobbed and screamed until she almost cried her entire heart out.

Thalia volunteers for the quest. But not just to save for Annabeth- of course she does want to help her best friend- but more to save the boy with blue eyes and the understanding smile. Because she knows there must be hope for Luke, and if not… there was no hope for her either. Thalia's quest is to save her little family and somehow stitch their lives back together to cross a couple problems off her never ending list.

But it's not until she stands on the top of that dark mountain that the horrible, heartbreaking truth dawns on her. And it makes her heart stop beating, her lungs stop breathing. There is no light in Luke Castellen's eyes. It is only an empty void of dark blue water, water that she's drowning in- dying in. And so she suffers in silence, her heart screaming as its few broken pieces shatter into millions.

Enter Thalia Grace. A girl with a broken heart and a list of worries that ran as long as the earth itself . She kicks a boy off a cliff, and crosses him off the list.


	2. Observations of Observers

**Here's a short one-shot concerning the observations of percabeth spectators :) Read and REVIEW please!**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Not him.**

Sally Jackson noticed it first, when Percy came back from his second year at camp and his eyes lit up every time he mentioned her.

Chiron noticed it when the corner of Annabeth's lips would tug at a smile when Percy entered the room.

Grover noticed it when the two would laugh with each other and Annabeth's head would fall into his lap for a moment or two.

Silena noticed it when Percy's eyes would linger on Annabeth the longest when scanning the pavilion before meals.

Athena noticed it, to her dismay, when her child pecked Percy's cheek innocently enough after the chariot race.

Thalia noticed it every time Annabeth teased Percy with the nickname "Seaweed Brain."

Clarisse noticed it whenever the two would walk together, their hands brushing without them noticing.

Poseidon noticed it incredibly late, when Percy refused the offer of godhood and gave a small smile in her direction.

Annabeth realized it when she almost lost Percy in Mt. Saint Helens and found it impossible to leave his side.

Percy knew it when they kissed, oblivious to anyone who watched and fearless about what the future held for them.

**Liked it? Hated it? It'd mean the world to mean if you'd review. :)**

**Thanks my dear readers, and hang in there until the 12th!**


	3. To Want and To Be Wanted

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riodan**

She never had really wanted anyone before. And she never wanted anyone to want her. Her head was so full of other troubles and worries that any other feelings seemed pointless. Ridiculous, even. In fact, Annabeth never could recall any childhood crush until he came along. Luke, one of the reasons she still lived. And ultimately one of the banes of her existence. Because she did want him, despite those little annoying factors like the fact he was too old for her, or the fact he had feelings for Thalia... yes, those were just hindrances that could be set aside.

With Luke, only the big things mattered. She could overlook the dark glints in his seemingly flawless eyes, she could forget about the way he'd talk about his dad with unquenchable rage. No, those little issues didn't make a fact that he always stood up for her, fought for her, cared for her- would perhaps even die for her- that was what was important. Or at least that was what Annabeth thought.

And then he walked into her life and knocked her flat off her feet. It infuriated Annabeth because she thought she had it all planned out- a plan worthy of Athena- that someday she and Luke would admit the feelings they had for each other and somehow get over their grief and be...content, even happy? She hadn't got to that part yet. But then he stumbled to the top of the hill, a poor kid who'd just lost the one who held his tangled life together, and turned her little perfect plan upside down. Not at first, of course. No, at first she still only wanted Luke, that one who held up her ideal world, not this confused new halfblood that was slower than water in a murky creekbed. Or at least that was what Annabeth thought.

Then they shared an adventure together- saved each other's lives several times even- and she started to really warm up to the boy. Started to miss him when he was gone, even for a minute or two. She didn't know what hit her until the little things he did started to catch her attention. Like the way he brushed his hair to the side when he got nervous, the way his laugh seemed to fill up a room, the way his eyebrows furrowed when she teased him with a stupid nickname. And then there was always his eyes to take in account for.

His eyes. They took her breath away every time she gazed into them- an intense green that shone like a midnight sea every time he smiled for her. It was times like those when her heart would start to flutter in her chest, her breathing turn ragged. Sometimes she'd relive those moments at night before enveloping herself in her dreams, and she'd realize it wasn't just the big things Percy did for her that mattered. It was the small details too- she loved every one of them. Annabeth didn't need to overlook anything about him, he was seemingly perfect in almost every way. And then those little thoughts started to build- one on top of the other- and suddenly she'd place him instead of Luke in that ideal world she had created and smile to herself. Then the thought would suddenly alarm Annabeth. What was happening to her? She didn't just want Percy, she wanted him to want her.

**Good? Bad? I want feedback! Justagirlwithideas signing off!**

**P.S. WHO'S EXCITED FOR THE 12TH? I am!**


	4. I've Heard Worse

**Hey guys :) I finished the Lost Hero on Wednesday. It was AMAZING! The only catch...I can't talk to anyone about it. The only friend I have who read it lives in Seattle, and my sister's only on the fourth. In fact, I started hyperventilating next to her during our Percy Jackson reading session, and she got really scared. The ending came as a HUGE shock to me, PM me if you agree so I can talk to someone about it! Enjoy the story, this one's my interpretation of how Paul Blofis found out Percy's secret.**

**Disclaimer: Yo no soy Rick Riordan (Spanish 1 baby!)**

Sally Jackson was one of a kind. Paul Blofis knew that. He loved her for it. And her son...well, he was one of a kind too.

That wasn't necessarily a problem. Paul had met a lot of kids who meant to do harm, but Percy wasn't like that. He was just, well, accident prone. Sure, Paul would go with that. The kid always intended to do good, but things just blew up on him. Literally. Take Goode High's freshman orientation for example. Paul could tell Percy was nervous, but then suddenly he was setting fire to the school and attacking a cheerleader? It didn't make sense at all.

Paul was musing over poor Percy's problems when Sally came through the door. She usually seemed to radiate happiness, but today her face was pale and her jaw was set. He stood up to greet her, and she forced a small smile before promptly pulling up a chair next to him.

"Percy?" she called over her shoulder, and the 15-year-old boy walked resignedly into the room and slumped into the seat next to Sally.

Paul cleared his throat. "Is something wrong?" he said cautiously. When Sally was with Percy, she normally acted a little strange, but today something was definitely up.

Sally forced a smile and clasped her hands over her lap. "Paul, Percy and I thought it best to tell you something before- before things get serious between us." She was biting her lip. He didn't say anything, but just braced himself for the worst. Sally sighed and started again. "You know about Greek mythology Paul. About gods, demigods, monsters, and Titans, right?"

Paul started to wonder where Sally was going with this. She looked very strained now, her hands clasped so tightly together her knuckles turned white. "Would you- would you believe me if I told you something crazy?" She turned to look at him, her eyes pleading.

"Sally," Paul said, giving her an encouraging smile, "I'll listen. Just please keep going- what were you saying about Greek mythology?"

Percy, who hadn't said a word the entire time, finally spoke up. "My dad is the Greek god Poseidon and that makes me a demigod I'm constantly hunted by monsters and there is this huge prophesy about me and I go on quests every year to save Mount Olympus, which now is on the top of the Empire State Building and my mom thought you should to know but she's scared the truth will scare you away but we agree you've got to know," he spilled out, breathless.

Paul raised his eyebrows for a second before giving a flustered chuckle. "Well, I've heard worse."

They all exchanged nervous laughs, but Percy's eyes furrowed together in confusion. "Wait, you believe me?"

**Well, not my best, but I wanted to do a more original story and no one ever writes about Paul, so I thought I should. Liked it? Hated it? I want feedback! Please PM or review me!**


	5. A Relationship Blossoms

**Hey y'all. This one's a Tratie for Daughter of Poseidon. I never really understood where people got this pairing from, but I think it's cute so I gave it my best shot. Enjoy my dear readers!**

**PS: I'm not Rick Riordan!**

The strategy was laid out. The armor intact. The boundaries set. So when the conch horn sounded the start of capture the flag, I really should have been ready. Which led me to an intriguing question: why wasn't I?

I would never admit it to anyone, but the truth was I was staring at Travis Stoll. Again. I mean, it's not like I like him or anything of course. We're really close friends, but he never takes things seriously. In fact, I'm convinced he thinks life's just one big practical joke or something. It's just that he always has this cute smile on his face, this way of flipping back his sandy blonde hair, that raised eyebrow expression that makes me want to look back...

No, I definitely don't like Travis Stoll. So why was I staring at him? He was the enemy, as far as capture the flag was concerned. But I just stood there dumbly as the conch horn sounded, and the opposing team surged around me like the breaking tide. What were the plans? My mind was at point blank. Then relief flooded through my veins as the offensive lineup reentered my mind. Our Apollo alliance would shoot stunning arrows at the guard patrol on the east river boundary. Before enemy backup could arrive, the Athena cabin would charge from the middle to cut any reinforcements. Then the fastest runner on our team- I was this designated role- would sprint through the east side, hopefully unopposed because of the stun arrows and the Athena cabin's attack, and seize the flag.

After a jolted start, I began to run. Our archers were already in position, and the first volley of arrows had already been sent down from their perches in the trees above. An unsettling silence followed: the signal that it was clear for me to run to the enemy base. I took off in a flash, bounding over the creek side in a blur as the grass cushioned my landing and sprang me forward.

That was always a plus side of being a Demeter kid. With plants, you're always on their good side (trust me, they have bad side too) and they'll bloom around you, depending on your moods. With the grass adding to the spring in my step, my legs were flying at a wild pace, and only a minute had lapsed before I approached the flag base. Now only one guard remained stationed there now, a boy with of medium build and sandy blonde hair...

Travis Stoll. Surely my luck couldn't be that bad. How was I supposed to take him when I kept getting lost in his eyes? His cute hair flip, his perfect smile? The only advantage I had was the element of surprise. I gave one step forward, and winced at the crackle of a snapped twig my foot had caught on. Travis whipped his head around toward me, suddenly alert. Shoot. Forget that element of surprise thing.

I charged him, pulling my thin dagger from its sheath as I bounded toward the flag. Travis quickly grabbed it from its stand, his flag hand behind his back and sword hand at the ready.

I gave a quiet chuckle. "Oh come on Travis, you're really going to challenge a Demeter girl to a sword fight? I don't even have a proper blade."

Travis smiled, like always, and his blue eyes twinkled even under the twilight sky. "Nice try, Kate," he said, strolling up towards me, "but I'm pretty smart for a clueless person. I know you could easily take me any day."

I blushed at the compliment, but then realized in alarm what he was doing. He was try to catch me with my guard down! And with a sinking feeling in my stomach, I knew he was doing a pretty good job of it. I need to put on a mask of confidence, to intimidate him.

"Can't argue with you there," I said, taking a step closer, "but I'll just have to prove your point."

We were so close now, I could smell his warm breath on my face or count the number of freckles on his nose. Travis did that adorable hair flip again, and flashed me a nervous smile. It was took much. Suddenly I dropped my dagger and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him gently. He let his sword drop to the ground as well, and wrapped his arms around my waist to kiss me back.

It was perfect, just perfect, and it was only when I pulled back to catch my breath that I realized we were still in the middle of a capture the flag game. And then I did the lowest move of my life. As we smiled at each other, I slowly inched my hand toward his, then pulling the flag from his slackened grasp and running, running faster and harder than I ever had in my life. I only looked back once, to see Travis picking a rose from the ground that had just bloomed. And it had bloomed...between where we kissed.

**I hope you enjoyed it! Please review, it always makes my day. Justagirlwithideas signing off!**


	6. With a Bad Case of Bedhead

**Hey everyone! A special thanks to all my reviews, they really help me improve my writing! This one's set between TTC and BOTL...I was craving some percabeth. Enjoy!**

**PS: For all you doubters out there, I'm not Rick Riordan. Sorry (:**

When I rolled out of bed on that sunny Saturday morning, I immediately noticed two things. A: I had a terrible case of bedhead. B: I actually _cared _I had a terrible case of bedhead. The most concerning thought was certainly B- why did I have a reason to be worrying over a bad hair day?

With a quickened thud of the heart, I remembered. Percy and I were going to hang out today because we were both on spring break and I was visiting New York. You know, the guy that rescued me from the clutches of a deranged Titan and held the sky for me. Butterflies flopped momentarily in my stomach. I told them to cut it out.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, I grabbed a tangled handful of hair in a desperate attempt to calm it. As I impatiently attacked the rat's nest with a brush, I couldn't help but wonder why. Why couldn't I just throw my hair up in a ponytail as usual? It wasn't like Percy cared or anything. He never noticed those things, in fact he rarely noticed _anything. _So I could just go to his place in sweatpants and my hair thrown up in a sloppy ponytail, right?

Wrong. That was the problem... I wanted him to care. To notice something in me that I had noticed in him. What that something was, I wasn't quite sure yet. I stepped back to observe my handiwork. The frizz had subsided to a minimum, and the curls had lost their tangle. _Good enough, _I decided. And without further ado, I flung the hotel bathroom door open and announced to my dad, "Ready when you are!"

By the time I'd slammed the taxi door shut and waved my dad good-bye, the butterflies were creating a moshpit in my stomach. _Calm down. Annabeth, it's just Percy. Your best friend. _Feeling irritated with myself, I jabbed the doorbell a little harder than necessary.

Some yelling from the other room, a short response from the other. The door opened quickly, Percy smiling from the other side. He was wearing skinny jeans and a green t-shirt that matched his eyes perfectly.

"Hey," I said breathlessly, going through that moment of indecision where you don't know if you should hug someone or not.

"Hey, Annabeth!" Percy said brightly, stepping forward with his arms outstretched.

_Do it, _I told myself, and reached forward to give him a rather awkward hug, since my hands were full with my duffel bag and leather satchel.

"Come inside," he said, grabbing my luggage and tossing it carefully on to the couch. I cracked and smile and entered the apartment, closing the door softly behind me.

"Hi Sally!" I called over to Percy's mom, who was working in the kitchen.

"Annabeth!" she said brightly from the other room, running over to greet me with her apron and oven mitts still on. "It's great to see you." The oven beeped promptly after this, so she scurried back over to take out some amazing smelling (most likely blue) food.

Percy was just staring me with a vacant expression on his face.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

He shook his head and blinked. "Oh nothing," he said quickly, "it's just that your hair looks pretty."

I immediately decided bedhead days were the best days of all.


	7. Ghosts Still Cry

**Here's one about Luke. I know no one cares about or even likes the guy, but I had this idea so here it is. Read AND REVIEW, pretty please.**

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan has enough of a life to not write on fanfiction. Now me on the other hand...**

In the Underworld, there was always a bitter wind tossed about through the air, no matter where one went. Even when Luke made it to the Isles of the Blest, the wind was always there to shake a chill down his spine. It was on those blustery days of the dark wind in which Luke would start to feel down, and that's when he'd sit down in a high place overlooking the Fields of Asphodel and remember.

He'd remember Thalia. Sometimes he would imagine her freckled face and fierce blue eyes so vividly it was like she was really there, with an affectionate scowl on her face and a small twinkle in her eye. Sometimes the vision was so frighteningly real Luke would catch himself talking to her. He would then quickly release the picture from his mind and feel the bitter loneliness overtake him again.

He'd remember Annabeth. He could still feel her warm face buried in his lap, see her honey blonde hair flying out from behind her when she ran, feel the solid trust in her gray eyes. Then the guilt and shame would burn like an uncontrollable wildfire in his heart and he'd choke back a sob and banish those eyes from his mind. He can't take the pain.

He'd remember his mother. He'd try and conjure the image of her before the incident- before he even had a memory- but it wouldn't come. All he was left with was the vision of her burning green eyes, the sudden tension in her hands, her stifled shrieks in the night. He winced, remembering the bloodcurdling shriek that forced him to flee anything and everything that had to do with her. Those memories would never leave his mind, nor did they ease the despair and loneliness that seized up every bit of Luke's being.

He'd remember Hermes. And he'd remember him by that name because the man was never a father to him. The father who never showed his love, who abandoned Luke for a high life, who left his mother to suffer insanity by herself. Then Luke's hands would form a fist and anger would consume his heart. This would scare Luke more than anything else, for it was that wrath that sent him to his debacle, and ultimately, death. That anger hurt, and Luke would struggle to release it.

He'd remember Percy. And it was only now that he felt truthfully and undeniably sorry, and only now where he couldn't tell the poor kid that truth. Luke's stomach would clench when he thought about what could have happened if Percy hadn't killed the monster he was becoming. He could still see the rock-solid determination in Percy's eyes, his protectiveness toward Annabeth when she was in danger, the unwavering bravery he summoned to try and defeat him. Him, as in Luke. _He_ was the bad guy. That's when the sob would be choked back into the throat again. Heshould have been the one protecting Annabeth, the one wielding unwavering courage in the face of the enemy. Instead he was a coward, giving into irrational rage and a cold, scraping voice in the dark-

Luke was stop right where he was, body stiff and upright, his hands clammy and his heart cold. He'd remember Kronos. The cruel reasoning behind a bone-chilling voice, the gold light consuming his essence, black ropes holding back his will in his own body. Then Luke would throw himself to the ground and sob and yell and scream until his body ached. Until his heart twisted itself into knots, the guilt and shame and horror of what he had done multiplying until it crushed down on him like a black wave breaking on a hardened shore. He would learn on those days of the dark wind a hard truth. Ghosts still cry. And it still hurt.

**A little depressing, but I actually liked how it turned out. What did you think? Review, please :)**


	8. Boys Will Be Boys

**A Silena and Beckendorf one-shot, summer of TLO (before his death of course). Read & review :]**

**Disclaimer: I think you've figured it out by now.**

Silena wiped her brow, trying to forget how hot it was, how bad her sweaty hair must look, and the fact that her boyfriend was late. Again. It had been alright the first few times- ten minutes late to campfire, five minutes late to a midnight stroll on the beach...but this, this was unacceptable. Forty three minutes had lapsed under a ruthless sun as she had waited for him to join her for a picnic lunch near Zeus's Fist. Silena straightened out the blanket- for the thirtieth time- and made up excuses for why Charlie was late. _He got injured in a pegasus accident. He got called to a mandatory meeting. _Anything was all right with her as long as it wasn't the fact he-

"Got backed up in work down at the forges," Charlie said, breathlessly, sitting down next to her and wiping soot off his face. _That. _Silena brushed her sweaty bangs to the side and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Again, Charlie? This is the third time! You do realize you're keeping me waiting," she snapped irritably, the sun and hunger getting to her temper.

"Sil, you can't start on me about this! This is a war we're talking about! The Hephaestus cabin is working day and night to make armor and weapons and we still can't finish anything fast enough!"

Silena smoothed the picnic blanket again, avoiding Charlie's eyes and remaining silent.

Charlie started again. "Do you not understand? My cabin needs me right now! I don't know about other cabin leaders, but I'm there to help my brothers and sisters."

Silena flushed with anger and leapt up to her feet, toppling the picnic basket over in the process. Charlie scrambled off the ground and backtracked quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-,"

"Mean what Charlie? I suppose you think the Aphrodite cabin leader just sits around on her bum all day, constantly demanding things from her hardworking boyfriend? I'll have you know I am up to my head in work! I'm booked all day with counseling sessions with kids who've lost their siblings in the Battle of the Labyrinth, I'm the one organizing the whole entire fireworks ceremony to keep the camp's spirits up, I am the one teaching five pegasi riding sessions a day! And yet, I still find time for a boyfriend who doesn't even care enough to show up on time to anything I plan!"

Hot tears sprang up in Silena's eyes as she spilled out all of her growing frustrations in one breath. "I make time for you, Charlie," she whispered. "Next year we're both in college and will only be seeing each other during the summers. Don't you want to make every second count?"

Charlie sighed, looking hurt. "Sil, I never meant to hurt you like this. I'll spend all my break times from the forges with you, if you want-,"

"If _I _want?" Silena implored. "Charlie, this is about both of us. If you don't want to spent time with me-,"

Charlie groaned, and threw up his hands. "Don't do this Sil-,"

"-Then I don't want spend time with you either," she finished indignantly. And with a whirl of hair and a pivot of the feet, she ran down the hill, leaving the basket, blanket, and boyfriend behind.

The tears that had welled up in Silena's eyes now trickled down her face, and she hastily wiped them away. She was already regretting getting so worked up over something so minimal, and knew she'd miss Charlie just for the few days it would take for them to cool off. Finally she made it to the edge of the woods and neared the Aphrodite cabin, gasping for air after the lengthy run. She threw open the door dramatically and promptly smashed her face into her pillow, giving out a woeful sob. In a heartbeat half her sisters had crowded around her in concern, ready with an arm to punch or a shoulder to cry on.

Sitting up and giving a dignified sniff, she said, "Anyone have a good apology speech?"

By the time campfire was almost ready to start, Silena had already memorized what she'd say. She'd open with an apology for being a selfish girlfriend, and then she'd ask to be forgiven for keeping him from doing his work. Then-

She stopped playing the words over in her head as he walked over to her. But before she could take a deep breath and launch into the first sentence, Charlie smiled cheerfully and pecked her cheek.

"You excited for campfire tonight?" he asked, indifferent to the picnic lunch fiasco earlier that day. Silena struggled to thread together a sentence.

"I...well...um, yeah," she said, tentatively weaving her small fingers through his strong, callused ones. _Boys will be boys, _she thought amusedly.

**Awww, their first fight! At least guys get over things quickly :) Let me know what you think, every review makes my day!**


	9. Not in the Least

**Greetings, my dear readers! Thank you so much for the supportive and encouraging reviews, they always make my day and encourage me to keep writing. Readers like you are why I keep writing!**

**Disclaimer: And I'll say yet again, I am not Rick Riodan **

It had been an abnormally stormy summer's day the day Percy Jackson had arrived at camp. Before he had even arrived on Half Blood Hill, Chiron could smell the foreboding stench of monster tossed about by a quiet chill in the wind. So when Percy Jackson stumbled across the border into camp, Chiron couldn't say he was surprised. Only worried. Very, very worried about what the Fates had in store for this poor boy. But he needed him to be strong, much stronger than any child should ever have to be. Chiron had a hunch about that troubled child even then, but he had prayed it to not prove true. For if it did, the future only held a fate certain death to poor Percy Jackson.

But Chiron was pleasantly surprised that summer. Percy Jackson had not only managed to avoid his certain doom, but had also proved himself a leader and a capable fighter. Perhaps maybe, just maybe, this child might survive.

And so the summer gave way to a blustery fall, the fall to a brief winter, the winter to a cold spring…and then suddenly the sun perched itself high in its sky and brought forth a sickeningly hot summer. A summer that once again tested Percy Jackson's ability to lead and fend for himself, another summer renewing a pleasant feeling of hope in Chiron's heart. And so he pushed that haunting hunch to the back of his mind in a desperate attempt to rid himself of the thought for good.

But he couldn't avoid the truth forever. The idea was like a thorn that his mind kept stumbling over- stinging his heart every time he thought of it. With the way things were going, Percy Jackson was going to be the child of the prophesy. Chiron could only hope he could train Percy Jackson to the best of his ability, for the child's life was on the line if he should fail. And so time lapsed and a cold front from the north rolled in, blanketing New York in a snowy winter. It was during this time that his Annabeth was taken away, and a quest set forth to go after her. Percy Jackson was not to be a part of this group, but Chiron just sat back with a small smile and let the child run away after his best friend. And though the quest reaped both victory and loss, Chiron could only wonder in awe about the luck of this boy. No, luck would not be this consistent; the child just had raw talent. Could his skill save him? That was the question that gnawed at Chiron's mind night and day.

And yet another year went by- and a quest that almost claimed the life of his young blossoming hero. But Chiron had never believed the child was gone, no, he knew in his heart his hunch was correct. This child would live to fulfill the prophesy- for better or for worse.

So when the time came for the prophesy to be played out, Chiron could only desperately hope Percy Jackson was ready. Chiron had done anything and everything to prepare the child for what was coming, but was sure whatever he did would never, ever be enough to keep Percy Jackson alive. The child was strong, brave, determined, smart…but these were _Titans! _Would beyond incredible ever be enough?

It was. Percy Jackson pulled through. He claimed the prophesy. He fulfilled it to the end. This young hero of Olympus exceeded every expectation Chiron had ever set, topped every hope he dared to dream of. He-

"Excuse me, Chiron?" Zeus's booming voice called him back into the real world. "I'll ask yet again, were you surprised when Percy Jackson helped save Olympus?"

Chiron smiled slowly before replying. "No, not in the least."

**Loved it? H ated it? I want feedback! I won't be posting for a couple days because I'll be reading the Lost Hero in all my spare time, but I'll be back with some of the book's new characters for one-shots afterward!**


	10. End of the Innocence

**Happy Halloween guys! Here's a Bianca one-shot for ya :)**

**Disclaimer: I am as much Rick Riodan as Alexandra Daddario is Annabeth Chase **

It was like a sixth sense, this feeling of foreboding that hung like a shadow over her head. From the moment Bianca had stepped into Westover Hall she had felt it immediately. It wasn't just the unsettlingly obvious clues, like the fact the vice principal once breathed smoke out of his nose or eyes once turned red. No, it was just the smell of the school itself- a dark odor that she would catch a whiff of every once and a while. Maybe it was the smell of her fear. Bianca didn't have any answers.

She never mentioned her uneasiness to Nico. The kid was so young, and she was trying her best to help him remain carefree- while he still could. Bianca took it upon herself to protect her little brother from this ominous shadow, come what may. They were all each other had. Bianca needed to keep them together, preferably in one piece.

She was melding this over when a triple-tap knock sounded from her dorm room door. _That'll be Nico, _she thought tiredly. The two had worked out a secret knocking system so that the two could sneak into each other's dorms to still be together. Lately, her little brother frequented her room over five times a day, and Bianca didn't know how much longer he could pull it off without people noticing and suspecting.

"Come in, Nico," she said softly, not wanting anyone to hear.

The door opened slowly, and her little brother walked into the room, shuffling his feet sullenly on the ground and wiping his red eyes. Bianca's mother-hen protectiveness clicked into gear, and she swore to pound the daylights out of whoever was responsible for hurting Nico. Hopping up to her feet, she ran over to his side and put her arm around his slumped shoulder. He sniffled once or twice, and then looked up at her with watery eyes.

"Bianca?" he asked timidly.

"What is it? Are you alright?"

"Ye-yes," he choked out, sinking down onto her bed.

She sat down next to him and put her arm around him again. "Nico, what happened? You can talk to me," she said soothingly.

"The boys- they were laughing at me for playing with my Mythomagic cards," he said sadly. Bianca sighed with relief, this was a minimal trouble that had been recurring over the past couple of weeks. They could work through it. "Am-am I a baby for playing with them?" he asked nervously, the thought obviously had been bothering him for a long time.

"No, of course you aren't," she assured him. Bianca secretly loved the way he played with Mythomagic cards. It was proof that despite their hard past Nico really did have a remainder of his childhood innocence left within him. "No, it's fine to play with them. I mean, we play together sometimes and I'm older than those boys, right?"

Nico's face broke into a lopsided smile. "Yeah. Yeah, that's right," with an obvious rise of spirits. A bell sounded from the corridor outside of the dorm room.

"You need to go to your next class, Nico," she told him, handing him a jacket and pushing him toward the door. "I'll meet you down you by the cafeteria at six, and then we can go to the dance."

Bianca winced inwardly when she said this, because she would have preferred to hide in her room reading then put up with those annoying girls from math class in a gym full of blasting rap music. But Nico had insisted they go, and just to give him something to look forward to, she had grudgingly agreed. He needed happy memories, and Bianca feared to deprive him of those. _I can prevent the end of his innocence, _she promised herself. _I can save him from that shadow. _Bianca knew better now.

**Annnnd that's it. Review, please.**


	11. To Win a Battle

**Sorry I've taken so long to update, I have had over six tests this week! As a part of my quest to recognize and pay respects to supporting characters, I now present you a Clarisse one shot. Read, review...you know the drill.**

**Disclaimer: This really isn't necessary anymore.**

Ares was the god of war. He won all of his battles, always. So being his daughter, I should win all my battles too, right? I wish life worked like that, but considering the fact the only luck I have is bad luck, it doesn't.

I've lived a crappy life for as long as I remember. My mom left me at St. Clarion's Orphanage on day one, so that's not exactly a strong start. I ran away from that horrible place when I was ten years old, and the moment I was out on my own the monsters tracked me down (because my life wasn't already difficult enough). A satyr found me and took me to Camp Halfblood, and I never left.

Even though things have picked up considerably after I came to camp, something's always going wrong in my life. The orphanage forced me to fend for myself and not worry about anyone else, but that motto isn't very popular at camp. So now I've got no friends and a tough-girl reputation to keep up. The most frustrating part is that when I look at other camper's lives, they seem so much better compared to mine, even for a halfblood.

Take that punk Percy Jackson for example. His whole life is based on good luck. I never did take to him, but when he sprayed toilet water up my nose it became personal. The kid stole everything from me- my dignity, my electric spear (the only proof I had that my father might care), my leadership role...he screwed everything up. And then, of course, he gets a freaking quest, is lucky enough to tell the tale, _and_ he gets closer to the girl he liked. I'd liked Chris for two years straight and couldn't even say hi to him. So when Jackson had the nerve to return to Camp Halfblood the next summer, I silently promised to rage war on him.

I had to admit, at first I was doing pretty well. I beat his sorry butt in the chariot race- the coward ran way when those deranged metal birds came. And Jackson was decreasing rapidly in popularity, so that was always a plus as well. However, this one night at campfire, things started spiraling downward. Jackson started rousing everyone by talking about this phony dream he had, and suddenly the whole camp was screaming for a quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece. I couldn't believe my bad luck. I win a chariot race, Jackson gets a quest. I was back to zero points as far as this silent war was concerned. Tantalus began yelling above all of the noise, and I tried desperately to shut him out.

"I think the choice of champion is obvious," he stated importantly. I groaned as he droned on about how perfect his little champion was for this mission. Life just wasn't fair. It didn't matter if I fought off bronze bulls or was crowned with a wreath for a chariot race victory. Jackson got the glory.

Tantalus was wrapping up his little speech now. "...you shall lead this quest...CLARISSE!"

I flew up to my feet, astonished and elated. Me? I would lead the quest? It seemed to good to be true! But I hadn't just imagined it- all around me my brothers and sister were roaring and stomping their feet, cheering and yelling, _for me._ I swallowed and tried to recompose myself.

"I accept the quest!" I cried out, my chest swelling with pride. This was it. My chance to prove myself to my father, to Chris, to my brothers and sisters. I didn't even care about what Jackson was whining about now. All sound went fuzzy, but I could feel the applause vibrating around me. "I accept the quest!" I yelled to the camp. "I, Clarisse, will save the camp!" I glared at Jackson in victory, reveling in his outraged expression. I'm the daughter of Ares. It was about time I won a battle.

**I know, it was a little bit choppy. I was just trying to get into Clarisse's head and write the way she probably thinks. Tell me what you thought, reviews are my life!**


	12. A Hideous Justice

**Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while, I've been reading the Artemis Fowl series (which I highly recommend to anyone who hasn't read it) and haven't had much time for writing. Here's an Ethan one-shot, taking place during BOTL. **

**Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan**

He could hear the roaring of the crowd from a mile away. With every step he took, the sound menacingly increased until it shook every inch of his body. This was the time when the doubts and the what-ifs trickled into his mind, teasing him and tossing around his emotions until his mind would surely sever in two.

_ Why couldn't I just stay at camp? Why couldn't I just put up with being ignored and suck it up like the rest of the Hermes kids? What was I thinking, running away into the Labyrinth? What if I don't want to join Kronos's army? What if-_

The dracenae hissed, butting the end of her spear into his back. "You musssst keep moving, ssstupid boy," she snapped at him. "We must not keep our massster waiting."

"Fine," he said, promptly quickening the pace. "We can't have an impatient massster."

The dracenae hissed again. "You mocking me, halfblood?"

"No!" he said quickly, cursing himself for provoking the dangerous creature.

"Then bite your tongue, or I'll cut it off myssself."

He remained silent for the rest of the journey. Now the arena was towering above their heads, the chants of the crowd distinguishable to a trained ear. His hands were quivering, as was his resolve. _What have I gotten myself into? What do they want me to do?_

The monsters in front of him halted in front of a small gate on the side of the stadium. There was an exchange of grunts and then the doors slowly opened to a hall with several doors on either side.

"Lisssten up, halfblood," the dracenae said right behind him, making him jump. "In an hour or ssso, you will fight in the arena. You defeat your adversary, you join Kronos's army. You fail, you die. Choossse your weapon carefully, your life dependsss on it." The monster threw open a door and shoved him inside, making crowd's roar suddenly subside to a whisper.

He raised his head to drink in his surroundings, stumbling back onto his feet. The only light in the cell came from a small barred window at the top of the wall that casted a pale glow across his face. A small rack of armor and weapons sat at the far end of the room, and he slowly strode over to peruse through the swords piled up in the corner.

As his fingers fumbled through the metal, the clammy hand of fear clawed its way across his heart and snatched all sanity from his mind. _I must pick the right weapon. I must fight flawlessly. I must win. What if I don't? What happens if I fail? _A thousand horrible ways to die flashed through his mind, each more grotesque than the one before. There was no barrier between him and his fears. They grabbed hold of him and shook him to his core, causing him to suddenly pound his hands on the cold floor in a desperate attempt to drive them out.

Suddenly a cool and quiet voice whispered in his mind, overpowering all the demonic fears that threatened to drive him mad. _"Ethan," _a woman's voice said. Ethan sat bolt upright, his terror driven back into the deepest and darkest valves of his mind. _"Ethan," _her voice sounded clearly in his head.

"Mother," Ethan panted, wiping cold beads of sweat from his face.

_"Ethan, compose yourself," _she said scornfully. The boy nodded and heaved a heavy sigh. _"That's better. Ethan, you must remember your task. If you focus now on possible fates, you will never achieve the true fate that lies before you,"_

Of course she was right. Ethan felt ashamed. By allowing panic to overtake him, there was no chance of success. "I'm sorry mother," he said to the cell ceiling, envisioning the sharp features of his mother Nemesis, goddess of revenge. "I will not let my fears take control of me again."

He could almost see his mother's lip curling as she sneered down on him. _"You better not, fool of a son. I am blessing you with the ultimate destiny, and in return you allow Phobos _**(A/N: god of fear) **_to possess you. Unacceptable. Calm your nerves, I can see them quaking from all the way up here."_

Ethan's eyes narrowed as he tried to to muster all the courage within him for the task that laid ahead. "_You defeat your adversary, you join Kronos's army. You fail, you die." _The dracanae's ominous words kept replaying over and over in his head.

What did the Olympians ever do to help him? _"They have done nothing, my son," _Nemisis's voice echoed throughout his head. His mother was right. They did not deserve his support. Kronos would strike them down. And Ethan had to aid him in that endeavor. "_Yes. The titan lord needs your allegiance. You shall be the one to turn the tables, son of mine." _Ethan gripped the sword that lay next to him and stood up. _I am the son of Nemesis. I will defeat my adversary. I will join Kronos's army. The gods will be casted down from Olympus. _

He slashed the sword experimentally through the air, testing its balance. _Perfect. _The sword would do him justice. And with it, he would bring a hideous justice to all of Olympus.

**I hope that made up for my neglect to update. Please review, it will make updates come all the faster!**


	13. Broken

**Hey guys! This one-shot will take place between BOTL and TLO. I always thought Annabeth and Percy got along too well at the beginning of TLO after their awkward goodbye the summer before, so this was my interpretation of what could have happened in the school year in between.**

**Disclaimer: I only wish I could write the way Rick Riodan can...**

Percy's palm was sweating as he gripped the drachma, his knuckles white from grasping it so hard. _Just do it, Percy!_ he told himself. _But what if she doesn't even want to talk to me? _another part screamed back. _There's only one way to find out..._

With one final breath, Percy threw the drachma into the mist. "O goddess, accept my offering," he said, voice quivering. Seconds passed, each one an hour. Then the image of Annabeth Chase appeared in front of him. She looked up from something she was writing in surprise, her gray eyes widening when she saw him.

"Percy!" she said, dropping her pencil and tucking a loose stand of blonde behind her ear.

"Hey-," Percy began, his voice cracking. Coughing to cover the embarrassment, he began again. "Hey Annabeth."

She raised an eyebrow at him and bit her lip. "Hi," she nodded, then picked up her pencil and continued her writing.

Percy sighed in frustration. She was avoiding eye contact with him. Seconds of silence lapsed into a minute. "Annabeth," Percy said gently.

She threw down her pencil and turned her face toward him again. "What?" she demanded.

"I just wanted to talk to you! It's been- what? Four months now since we last talked? The whole entire fall has gone by without us even iris messaging once! I know we didn't leave off on a very good note last summer, but that means we need to make up for it at some point. Look at me," he said, as Annabeth had started bending down for her pencil on the floor. The gray eyes slowly looked up at him. Her face looked sad and tired as she sat up to face him again.

"Sorry," she said softly.

"I just don't understand why things are so..." he struggled for the word, "...difficult. Between us," he finally spit out.

Annabeth threw her head back and sighed. "Okay Percy," she started, still looking up at the ceiling. "You want to know what was running through my mind that last time we talked before leaving camp? I was struggling over the shock of seeing Kronos in Luke's body, silently dealing with a deep injury after the Battle of the Labyrinth..." she paused for a moment, as if struggling to get out the next few words. "I was still angry over the fact you were choosing a mortal girl over me to lead the quest, and was waiting for you to admit to me you were on Calypso's island.

Percy's eyes widened. "So you knew. Well, I guess I should have known you would figure it out."

Annabeth made a noise somewhere between a chuckle and a sigh. "Percy, I'm a daughter of Athena. How long did you think you could keep it a secret?"

Percy just shook his head. "Alright. So you know. How does that give you the right to ignore for this past semester though?"

"I had no right to ignore you. I shouldn't have run off that last day when the conch horn sounded. We should have had this conversation a long time ago. I was just upset how many secrets you had kept from me, about Rachel and Calypso and..." she stopped again. "Forget it," she muttered.

"What?" Percy asked, confused. "Annabeth, this isn't getting us anywhere." He could hear her mom calling her from downstairs to dinner. Annabeth stood up quickly, looking eager to leave.

"Percy, listen. I was stupid. I overreacted. I wanted to be mad at you for a lot of little things that don't matter anymore. Let's forget last summer and move on."

He opened his mouth to speak, but the connection had been broken. Like their relationship.

**Good? Bad? I want feedback! **


	14. The Fear of Heights

**I'm overdue to update, so here you go! This one's a pre-series Thalia fic, but be warned: LOST HERO SPOILERS! Just saying. **

**Disclaimer: I'm not him. Sucks, doesn't it?**

Thalia knew her mother didn't care about her. It was a fact that she had accepted a long time ago. It was hard at first, but Thalia was a strong girl and had learned to just cope with the situation she was stuck in and tough it out. But this- this was the last straw.

Her mom never woke her up for school. Thalia had to get ready every morning in that dark and quiet apartment room all by herself, save Jason. And then she'd have to step out into the bitter-cold streets of New York and walk two miles through snow sludge to get to her school. With a baby strapped to her back. And after dropping her little brother off at the daycare center next to the school, she'd have to grind through the whole learning-with-dyslexia ordeal.

The burden was far too heavy for an eight year old to bear. She was truly living on her own, dreading the moment her mother barged through the door each evening. Somehow, Thalia had managed it until this day- but now she was done with it. The day Thalia slept through her alarm because she had been up until 2 the night before rocking little Jason to sleep. The day her mom slammed open the door and 6:00 that night and found her daughter still asleep in her room.

"I'm sorry!" Thalia screamed through her tears. "But I was so tired the night before- caring for Jason- that I-,"

"Oh, you were tired? You were tired? I'm the one who has to wake up at five every morning for work to pay for a place for you to live, to pay for food that keeps you alive! But you can't wake up for school in the morning, and I get a call saying you've committed truancy!'

"I get up at five every morning too! Because I can't have a normal parent who gives me a ride to school! And I'm the one taking care of Jason, even though you're supposed to be the mother, the one who takes care of him!" Thalia sobbed.

Her mother's face colored and contorted with fury. "Shut up, you ungrateful child! How _dare _you speak to your mother like that!"

Thalia swallowed her sobs and stood up, now righteously indignant. "You're no mother of mine! You have never, ever been there for me! Jason and I don't need you!" Her mother lashed out and struck her daughter's tearstained face. With a shriek, Thalia jerked back in terror. This was it. She couldn't take it any more.

"I'm leaving!" Thalia screamed, snatching her baby brother from the couch and grabbing her backpack as she ran towards the door. She ignored her mother's yells and fumbled with the door knob. _Shoot. _It was locked. Her shaking fingers turned the latch, and by then her mother was upon her. But as her mom grabbed her arm, a sudden bolt of electricity zapped her at the touch.

Thalia's eyes widened. How did she do that? She had just-

"You _freak child! _How could you- how did you-,"

Thalia gritted her teeth and slammed the door in her mother's fuming face. And then she started to run. Tears were pouring freely down her face, but she ignored them and continued to sprint down the icy sidewalk. _Where am I going? What did I just do? What was I thinking? _A million panicked questions flooded Thalia's mind, but she pushed them back and thought simple. _I need a place to think. I need a place to think. I need a place-_

Of course. The Catskill mountains. They loomed over the part of New York where she lived, about a mile away from her apartment. Thalia ran harder, not pausing until she reached the trailhead. And then, without further ado, she secured Jason in her special backpack's pouch and began to climb.

The sun was beginning to sink below the horizon by the time Thalia reached the top of the cliff. She sat down, oblivious to the icy wind and darkening landscape, and put her hands in her head.

She was screwed. She possessed some strong power that she had no control of, she had no food or money, and had no home to come back to. Her mother had hit her once, who knew what she would do next time? Thalia cast a despondent eye on Jason. What had she gotten her little baby brother into? He was the only thing she cared about, the one one she loved, and now she was screwing up his life as well. Thalia felt the tears rise up, against her will, but she fought them back.

_ No more crying. _This was the real world now. She pulled Jason out of the backpack and held his sleeping form in her arms. Together they watched the sun subside into a bleak dusk. Suddenly, Jason's eyes fluttered open and the child wriggled in her grasp.

"Jason, stop it! Careful, Jason- Jason!" Her little brother slipped out of her grasp and fell off the cliff, swallowed by the darkness below. Thalia's mouth opened in a silent scream as she watched the only thing she cared about fall out of her arms, out of her life. Thalia was about to jump herself when she heard a giggling noise sound from below. Jason came floating back out of the darkness back up to her, turning about in the air. Thalia started to laugh, but it came out more like a strangled scream as the little boy soared right back into her grasp.

Sobbing and laughing at the same time, she picked up the little boy and twirled him about in her arms. "J-Jason, holy crap! What just happened? Don't _ever, ever _try _anything _like that again, y'hear?" she cried out through her tears. And then she glanced down at cliffside that almost took her brother away from her. The crumbling land that gave way to darkness...Thalia fled from it. She needed to get to the ground, off from the mountain.

Leaving her backpack behind, she scrambled down the steep slope, the wild fear of the cliffside overtaking her mind and all rationale. The heights had almost taken her brother away from her. And so she, from that day forth, feared them above all else.

**Author's note: just clearing this up, this is not the actual time Thalia runs away. I envisioned her coming back after this, only to run away later after Jason is kidnapped. This story was just an explanation for her profound fear of heights. What did you think? Review, pleeeeease(:**


	15. New Beginnings

**A Grover/ Juniper fix. Read and review!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not ****Rick Riordan**

It was springtime in New York. This meant many things for the satyrs of Camp Halfblood- that the harvest of strawberries for the yearly profit was nearing, that preparations would be underway for the summer programs at camp, and, of course, that the wood nymphs would come and play with them in an altered version of the child's game of tag. This sport had different rules though- rules that made the satyrs anticipate every springtime with excitement. For once a nymph was tagged, they had to kiss the satyr that caught them. Now, if only the nymphs would follow the rules…

Grover Underwood wrung his hands nervously. The nymphs were lining up on the other end of the river, giggling quietly and flipping their long locks of hair. Peter grinned next to him, nudging him in the direction of one particularly beautiful nymph.

"You see that girl right there? I bet my beard she'll _let_ me tag her, just to get a taste of this."

He puffed out his chest pompously and nodded toward her. The nymph cast a disdainful eye on Peter and turned her back to him with a haughty hair flip. "She's just playing hard to get," Peter convinced himself, unfazed.

Grover sighed and walked away from the oblivious satyr. Everyone acted so ridiculous this time of year, and now it was starting to get on his nerves._ Don't they ever learn? _he wondered. _The nymphs play the same trick on us every year, but somehow we convince ourselves the next spring will be different. _Grover lined up at the edge of the river grudgingly, preparing for another day of humiliation. A horn sounded, and the satyrs took off after the fleeing nymphs and Grover watched the spectacle unfold. The moment each nymph was tagged, she would immediately turn into plant form and the satyr's lips would smash into foliage.

Grover turned away from the embarrassing scene and walked over to the pond at the edge of the game's boundary. But before he plopped down by the water's edge, he noticed he wasn't alone. A small nymph sat on a rock by the pond facing away from him. _Does she notice I'm here? _Grover thought. The girl didn't turn as he took another step towards her, so Grover assumed she hadn't heard him running over.

Another step. Then another. Then- _crack! _a twig snapped from below Grover's hoof and he winced at the sound. The nymph's head whipped around, her green eyes wide. The girl possessed a natural kind of beauty, with a small elfish face and long amber hair.

"I suppose you want a kiss," she said, rolling her eyes at the satyr's bewildered expression.

"Um…uh…well not really," Grover said, backing up slowly.

"You expect me to believe that load of minotaur dung? That's all a satyr wants. A kiss from a pretty little nymph, like we're some prize to be won or something."

"I don't believe that," he said softly, not taking his eyes from her pretty little face.

She raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"I never play this stupid game. There's no point. Every year, we think you'll finally decide to follow the rules and kiss us and suddenly fall deeply love with us. But that's stupid! You nymphs are _smart- _and every spring we make fools of ourselves as we fall for your little tricks."

A small smile appeared on the nymph's face. "I never thought I'd see the day when a satyr was right about something. Come over here- what's your name?"

"Grover- Grover Underwood."

"I'm Juniper," the nymph said brightly. "And I never play this silly game either. You want to sit and stay awhile?"

Grover couldn't believe his ears. A nymph was inviting him to sit next to her? To keep her company? And she wasn't about to run away? Numbly, the young satyr walked over and sat down on the rock next to her.

"I love this time of year. Everything's young and beautiful- full of life and new beginnings," Juniper sighed contentedly, lying back on the rock to take in the woodland splendor. Grover laid down as well, hands behind his horns, and soaked in the sound of birds chirping above him and the wind tickling his face.

"I never do this anymore," he admitted after a couple relaxing minutes past. "I never just sit down and enjoy the beauty of nature anymore. I've forgotten how nice it is."

"Yes," Juniper murmured, casting her eyes up to the canopy towering over them. "It's even better when you have someone to do it with."

Grover smiled and closed his eyes. _If only moments like these could last forever. _He'd only spent moments with Juniper, but it felt like he had known her his entire life. A horn sounded in the distance and he groaned. _All good things must come to an end. _

Juniper stood up slowly, her eyes shining as she smiled at him. "Well, I better be off. It was nice talking to you, Grover Underwood."

"You, too," he said. The girl turned and started to run into the woods, and Grover realized if he ever wanted to see the beautiful nymph again he'd have to act now. "Juniper!" he cried out toward the figure disappearing into the trees. She stopped in her tracks. "We should do this again sometime. Maybe tomorrow after dinner?" he asked nervously.

"I'd like that," she said quietly, and Grover could have sworn he saw a smile flash in the distance as she resumed her graceful flight through the forest. _"I love this time of year. Everything's young and beautiful- full of life and new beginnings," _Juniper's voice rang through his mind. _Maybe- just maybe, _Grover thought tentatively,_ we're off to a good beginning._

**This one-shot was really fun to write, I love Grover and Juniper. They're so cute together! What did you think? Review!**


	16. 17 Steps

**Here's one for Annabeth. Warning: Lost Hero spoilers! **

"G'night Annabeth," he whispers, wearing that dorky lopsided grin she loves so much. Then he leans forward slowly and gives her a light kiss. Her heart flutters a little, and she smiles against his embrace.

"See you in the morning, Seaweed Brain," she murmurs into his shirt.

Then she steps back and watches him walk to his cabin. Counting the steps he takes. _One, two, three, four, five- _Because you never know when things might change, right? _Seven, eight, nine, ten- _She needs to savor every second they were together. _Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen- _She has to remember everything. He takes 17 steps. And Annabeth never forgets.

When he's not there in the morning, she knows something's up. She remains levelheaded, trying to stay rational. That works until about lunchtime. Then she's starting to ask around, _not because he's actually missing, _she convinces herself. _Just because I want to see him. _

"Hey Connor, have you seen Percy around?"

"No, actually..."

"Clarisse? Did you see Percy over here?"

"No."

Even resorting to ask Aphrodite girls where he might be...

"Oh, Drew, I was meaning to ask you..."

"Where Percy was."

"Yes!"

"Haven't seen him, hon. Though I might not look anymore if I were you, he's probably cheating and catching him in the act would make things a little more awkward, don't you think?"

This is why Annabeth saved Aphrodiate girls for last. Her frustration level now is the verge of boiling over when she runs into Chiron at the Big House.

"Chiron!" she calls to him, but it comes out more like a scream.

He turns in alarm, and she she smiles apologetically. "Chiron, have you seen Percy anywhere?"

He frowns. "I'm afraid I haven't, child. Have you asked around?"

Annabeth bites her lip. "All day. He wasn't there at breakfast, lunch, or any of the training sessions I share with him."

Chiron sighs. "Have you checked his cabin? The boy's probably still asleep."

Hope swells inside Annabeth, the warm sensation sending a smile across her face. "That's it. He probably just slept in too late. Thank you, Chiron!" she yells over her shoulder, already racing towards his cabin with her ponytail flopping back and forth behind her.

The sun is setting on Long Island Sound when Annabeth makes it to Percy's cabin. Gulping in deep breaths, she brushes her bangs from her face in an effort to compose herself. Then she slowly opens the door.

The room is so quiet that Annabeth can hear every creak in the floorboard, every whisp of her hair swishing as she turns her head. And the bed is left empty and unmade. The silence is louder than sound, mocking her loneliness as it rings in her ears like a chimless bell. And then it hits her. _He isn't here. _And then the hopelessness hits her. _He isn't anywhere. _And then the truth hits her, so hard it hurts. _He's gone. _

"No!" she screams into the empty cabin with the empty bed. _Why were the fates so cruel? _ Could they not just live a normal life now, now that they had won the war and played their part in Olympus's victory? Of course not! Annabeth furiously blinks the tears from her eyes, but it is a battle she can not win. She throws herself onto Percy's empty bunk and cries until she sobs out almost every drop of water in her body.

Annabeth knows she isn't overreacting. Disappearances aren't just a little thing for demigods. Even if it's less than twenty four hours, it's something to worry about. And Percy has made a lot of enemies.

She buries her head into his blankets and gives a ragged sigh. The pillow smells like sea spray mixed with shower fresh deodorant. She misses that smell, even though it had been less than a day since she last saw him.

_ Where was he? Who had taken him? What happens now?_ Questions Annabeth can't answer. Questions she doesn't know if she'll ever be able to answer. All she knows is that it had taken 17 steps to take Percy away from her and she's going to take all the steps in the world to get him back.

**Good? Bad? I tried this one in a different tense, tell me how you liked it! REVIEW(:**


	17. Time

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, holidays are busy and I've been reading a new series. And a good book comes before writing for me. Sorry for neglecting you(: Here's a Nico one-shot from TLO, in the Underworld after Percy gets his Achilles' Heel.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Rick Riordan**

Hades' mouth curled in utter disgust as he eyed his scrawny young son. "Go to your room," he said with a small brandish of his hand, and suddenly Nico disappeared from the throne room and found himself in a dark bedroom. Gloom settled upon him like heavy layers of dust as he noticed a large lock on the door and only the light of a flickering green lantern to keep him company.

"Some room," Nico muttered to himself miserably. He was sure Percy was just as well off in his cell than he was in this cold, dark place. Percy. The name made Nico's stomach clench and tie itself into knots. What had he done?

Percy right now was probably hating his guts, convinced he was as much of a deceitful scumball as his dear old father. Now looking back on what had happened, Nico knew he'd hadn't been exactly forward with Percy on how the plan would work. If only he had told Percy he needed to bring him to Hades to talk, then maybe the older boy would see through his father's plans and refuse. _Then _they wouldn't be tangled in this mess.

But what was done was done, and now Percy was stuck in some craphole for the rest of his days while his father was going to let the Titans destroy Olympus without even raising a finger to help. And Nico was going to sit here, in this pathetic dark room, watching his world soon shatter to pieces. Time was ticking away for Olympus. And there wasn't anything he could do to slow it down.

Nico looked around the room to see if there were any assets to aid him in an escape. A lantern, a bed, a water glass, his sword, a nightstand- Nico froze. His sword! He rose excitedly and unsheathed his Stygian iron sword, cutting off the lock of his room as if he were slicing butter. _So far, so good. _He crept quietly down the hall, moving as though he was one of the shadows. Down the long black staircase. Across an empty banquet hall. Nico wasn't sure where he was in the palace, but he knew the cells were south of great castle and that's where he was headed.

It was slow going, evading guards and trying to decide which hall to take, but Nico gradually made it to the great doors at the end of the castle. Which were guarded by six armed men. Well, Nico struggled to call them men- they had ghostly white faces and glowing red eyes. He took a deep breath and reminded himself of the danger Olympus was in and vitality of rescuing Percy. He drew his black sword silently, and poised for attack.

_Three...two...one! _ Nico leaped from the shadows like a pouncing panther, wielding his sword fearlessly as he knocked the first guard out cold and disarmed the second guard in just three seconds. He smashed the hilt of his sword into the sentry's skull and moved on to the four others that had gathered their wits and held their weapons ready.

_ Shoot._ Nico knew Percy would be capable of taking them all out, but he was far from accomplishing that skill. He would just have to resort to his dark powers. He pointed at the four of them and willed their bodies to give way to a deep slumber. The guard's red eyes dimmed as they slowly slid to the floor in a great heap. Nico's eyelids sagged. Four guards at once! He had never done so many at once. The feat left him so weary Nico knew he wouldn't be capable of picking up the sentry's heavy bodies and hiding them. He'd just have race against the alarm and hope he and Percy could escape before Hades assembled his forces.

Sheathing his sword, Nico quickly pushed open the great black doors to the fields that lay beyond the castle. Squinting from the sudden brightness, he scanned the plains for a smaller gray fortress that would be holding Percy. _There! _ Less than a half mile away. Nico began to sprint through the grasses to rescue his friend.

He knew he would have to accept his father's disappointment, wrath, and even disownment after he freed Percy. No doubt his father would have nothing to do with him again, and maybe he'd even send out the Furies to have him imprisoned or killed. Nico held his head high. _Let them come, _he thought boldly. _I'll be ready. _The time to fear was over. The time to act was at hand.

He was barely even breathless by the time he got to the gates of the Underworld jail house. He slashed his knife through the chains barring the entrance and slipped through without a sound. Time was running out. Nico could hear the clock tick-ticking in his head as he put each guard to sleep, raced down each corridor. Where would Percy be? _Probably in the most heavily guarded cell, _Nico mused to himself. He looked around the corner and saw four men standing by a doorless cell. This was it. Nico took a deep breath and emerged from around the bend.

"Hey, guys!" he said, gathering his strength as he approached the guards nonchalantly.

Before they could blink, Nico had flicked his finger and sent them to dreamland. He then ran to the wall to feel for an invisible opening, a trapdoor, _something. _Feeling ridiculous, Nico tentatively reached forward to touch the wall, but the moment the tip of his finger brushed against it, the wall disappeared, revealing the cell. Nico was a little taken aback. It seemed as if he had an unlimited supply of power to draw from. What other secret skills did he have?

A moan from inside the cell brought Nico to his senses. Percy was lying asleep on the cold floor, tossing and turning as if in a nightmare.

"Percy!" Nico hissed, the ticking of urgency pounding ever louder in his ears. With a whirl of motion, Percy was upon him, swordpoint at his throat.

Nico had completely forgotten the whole Percy-hates-my-guts situation and found himself desperately choking out his intentions before the blade drew blood.

"Want...to...rescue!" he cried out. And Nico realized at the moment he did. It didn't matter what his father thought. It didn't matter if he'd be banished from the Underworld forever. It just mattered that he was doing the right thing for once, even if it meant having a sword stuck at his throat. The clock was ticking. It was time to do something right.

**All I want for Christmas is reviews from my dear readers! Please review :)**


	18. A Moment In Forever

**Finals are tough. Here's some percabeth fluff to lighten your day :)**

**Takes place night of Percy's sixteenth birthday. This story was inspired by the song Fields of Gold by Sting but isn't a songfic.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians and none of the characters crafted so beautifully by Rick Riodan.**

The date of our story was August 18th, 2006. **(1) **The luminescent full moon settled snugly into its jealous sky as twilight quietly approached Long Island Sound. A large bonfire shone defiantly against the darkness and the crowd around it sang jubilantly. Their faces were covered with scars from a dark past, but they held themselves with the confidence and pride of great victors. Let us enter the world of a certain Annabeth Chase who is among this euphoric crowd. The girl's hair hung dripping down her back, her clothing was sticky and sopping wet, and a myriad of bandages lay soggily on her forearms.

Despite the discomfort we would assume the girl may be experiencing, Annabeth was convinced that she was the happiest girl on Earth. Actually, she amended, all Earth _and _Olympus. For the hands that lay intertwined with hers belonged to none other than Percy Jackson.

She sighed contentedly and gave it a small squeeze, just to remind herself that this was real. That _he _was real. And the double squeeze that her boyfriend's hand returned reassured her of the fact. Annabeth drew a stray wet lock back behind her ear and readjusted her wet shirt. Percy turned to her, raising an eyebrow.

"You _do _know that I can dry you off, right?"

"Yes, Seaweed Brain, but like I have told you a million times, I'm hot as it is and the water is cooling me off," her warm breath whispered in his ear. Percy smiled and lifted his hands up in a gesture of defeat.

"Have it your way. You still look cold to me, though," he said softly, wrapping his arm around her to draw her close to his warm body.

She leaned on his shoulder, loving the way her head fit perfectly into the crook of his neck. It was a shame, really, that they hadn't gotten together up until now, she thought- and I'm sure we could all agree. The few moments they had spent together as a couple were bliss, and Annabeth could only wonder what it could have been like to have this kind of relationship with Percy during the trying experiences they'd had before.

"It's because of the experiences and conflicts we've gone through that we're even together in the first place," Percy told her once she repeated the thought aloud to him. "Think about it- if we hadn't been assigned the quest to retrieve Zeus's master bolt, how would we have gotten to know each other?"

"I'm sure one way or another-"

"Are you sure?" His green eyes bore into her gray.

"I don't know," she whispered. "It's just that I wish _this_," she snuggled closer into him, "could have happened sooner."

He smiled. "Well don't miss it Annabeth, it's happening now."

She looked up at him, and with wonder realized the kelp-headed boy actually said something that made perfect sense. You might want to record this, reader, it might be the first time in history it occurred.

"What?" he asked, contemplating the reasons why she wore such a peculiar face.

"Percy, you know that actually was a smart thing to say."

"Hey, you sound surprised!"

She just shook her head and kissed him lightly, savoring every second her lips brushed against his. It didn't matter what had or hadn't happened in the past, it what was happening now. _He _was happening- and she'd make every moment a lifetime. Let's pan out to watch the bonfire and the singing crowd from afar. I think we'd all agree they wouldn't forget about the fight with Kronos, the trials they'd all been through to reach this point, or even that moon hanging in its jealous sky. But we all know the moment that counts is the one that's happening at that right then and there.

**As for the footnote-**

**(1) I didn't know the year the story took place so I just assigned one.**

**I thought it was a little cheesy and a little cliché. But what did you think? Reviews are my world. **


	19. Far From Normal

**Well, I would definitely say that the amount of reviews last time was less than gratifying...thank you DaughterofPoseidon for being the only person to leave a comment! But the author writes not for the results but for the thrill of it, so here I am again :) A random postseries fic...inspired by my Monday off washing my sister's junky, disgusting car. Lovely. **

**P.S. I'm not Rick Riodan.**

"One, two, three, four..." Shelby dashed downstairs from where her little brother was counting into his pillows, trying to remember why she had agreed to play hide and go seek with her deranged little siblings. Oh yeah, because her mom had made her promise to babysit them while she and Dad went out to that nice and quiet restaurant by the sea.

Murmuring bitterly to herself about her stupid life, Shelby quietly opened the front door and tucked herself into a small ball behind her mom's neatly trimmed rose bush. A thorn pricked her hand and soil sank into her manicured nails she'd just painted earlier that day. Great. Just _great. _

"..." Shelby stopped her incoherent jumble of words from tumbling out of her mouth as she heard the door crash open from the apartment complex right across the street. From behind the thorny bush Shelby saw her neighbors Sally and Percy Jackson walk towards the parking lot, talking loudly. The boy was about four years older than her, kind of cute with good hair and _amazing_ eyes. Shelby immediately tried to make herself as invisible as possible, knowing she couldn't handle the humiliation if her hot neighbor saw that she was playing a child's game with her annoying siblings.

"Percy," the mom chided, "you didn't wash the car! Don't you want it to look nice before your date with Annabeth?" Shelby glowered at the bleeding cut on her finger. Of course he was taken. This was just so, _so _typical.

"I'm sure it's not that bad," Percy replied nonchalantly, rounding the bend. He then stopped in his tracks as the car came into view. "Holy _Hades..." _Shelby could have sworn he mumbled under his breath. What the heck? This was one weird family.

Sally sighed. "Honey, I'm not handing you your keys until the car is washed. Annabeth is simply going to have to wait, this is just _embarrassing. _Come up and show me when you're finished." She walked away, shaking her head at her son with all the shame every good mother had. When the apartment door slammed shut, Shelby watched the boy look over his shoulder nervously, as if checking to make sure no one was watching. He then quickly filled up a bucket of soap water and took a deep breath. Shelby leaned forward, curious to what the strange boy was up to.

Percy raised an arm and suddenly all the water rose into the air in a perfect sphere. Shelby's breath left her, every inch of her body paralyzed with disbelief. The boy waved his hand through the air and all the water swirled around the dirty car at a dizzying speed. _What was happening? _Was this some sort of optical illusion, new technology that no one knew about. Surely Shelby was dreaming! Her whole body was numb with disbelief as she peered with wide eyes through the rose petals.

The soap was now becoming thicker around the car as if a massive invisible hand were lathering it into the metal. And then suddenly Percy drew back his hand and the water was sucked right back into the bucket as if nothing had happened. Shelby blinked. That couldn't have just happened.

"Ready or not, here I come!" her brother's loud, piping voice from inside her house snapped her back to her senses. Percy must have heard the noise too, because he quickly dumped the dirty bucket water into the azaleas beside the parking spot and walked swiftly back into the apartment. Shelby could only come up with one conclusion for the bizarre phenomenon that had just occurred. Her neighbor was _not_ normal. No, he was far from it.

**Hahaha, if only she knew! Please review :)**


	20. Completed

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever! I've been busy with finals and my new story (which you should definitely check out) called Of Sparks and Flames. I've decided, because one-shot stories can go on virtually forever, to end this one at an even 20 chapters. That means this is the last one!**

**Thank you to all of my reviewers, and a special thanks to Unsuspected, AHumanRobot, and bookluva98 for being my most frequent commentators! Couldn't have done it without you :) And now I proudly (and sadly) present…the last one-shot of this story!**

Percy stepped into the small, cozy room bubbling with contagious laughter and lighthearted voices. A small flame that roared in the fireplace illuminated the faces of his friends of old.

"Percy!" Connor exclaimed, running up to pound him on the back. "It's great to see you!"

Beckendorf was the second over, his bright brown eyes lighting up with a big smile. "Hey, what took you so long?"

Katie and Silena waved merrily from their seats by the hearth and Clarisse nodded in his direction, neither friendly nor hostile. Travis, Malcolm, Bianca, and Nico all ran up to greet the newcomer, but slowly everyone sat down again and gave him irritated expressions.

"Hey," Percy said, raising his hand in defense. "I'm sorry I was a little late. I was just busy making," he paused for dramatic effect, "my mom's famous bean dip!" he cried, revealing a large platter and flourishing it around the room. Suddenly all hard feelings evaporated in cheers of excitement. Percy had brought the renowned dish to the last four get-togethers they'd planned, and now the unofficial tradition was anticipated with watering mouths.

"Hades," Percy suddenly groaned, "I forgot the chips!"

Silena smirked, looking a little guilty, and held up a bag. "I brought some with hopes you would make the dip again."

More cheers sounded, mainly from the Stoll brothers (who had quite a partiality for the famous food). When the snack had been passed around and everyone found a place by the fire, conversation was finally struck up.

"Remember the first time Percy made this?" Travis said through a mouthful of beans and onions.

Katie scowled at her husband's horrible manners but gave his hand a quick squeeze. "That was my first week at the Isles of the Blest." Travis's face darkened for a moment.

"I felt selfish for being so happy you'd finally arrived."

"That's normal," Connor reassured him. "We've all been through times like that before."

Beckendorf glanced meaningfully at Silena. "Yeah, when Sil arrived, I didn't know how to feel. It was way too soon," he sighed, "but it gave me just a few more years to enjoy with her. Did you know that we got married the moment we arrived at the Isles of the Blest?"

Clarisse spit out the remainders of her coffee in a moment of shock. "WHAT?"

"We were in love and had nothing to lose!" Silena said defensively.

"You were eighteen!"

"Sometimes it doesn't matter how old you are! We were dead, for Zeus's sake! Wouldn't you like to spend eternity as one?"

Clarisse's face softened. "You're right, of course. Loneliness can spread like the plague here and you were all each other had at that time."

"But now Elysium is a party zone," Beckendorf said, grinning. "Hardly a dull moment with all you guys around."

"We attract chaos like magnets," Travis laughed. "Always stalked by danger and excitement. Why, Katie and I got attacked by Laestrygonians on our wedding day!"

Everyone cracked up, remembering the unfortunate event. "But when it laid a finger on the wedding cake, it crossed a line! Katie tackled it, still in her wedding dress, and stabbed it a good three times. Too bad the dust got all over the buffet," Travis chuckled.

"Something similar happened on the night I proposed to Annabeth," Percy said. " I was reaching for the ring in my pocket while we ate a picnic dinner at the beach when Bessie the Ophiotaurus emerged from the water! Annabeth thought it was a monster and was already up to her waist in the ocean before I stopped her from stabbing it. I ended up proposing right there, in the sea." He smiled, reflecting on the memory. "Strangely enough, it was better that way."

The stories set everyone off with recollections of unfortunate events of the past, and as the evening grew older, the laughter steadily increased.

Nico was wiping tears from his eyes as he tried to choke out his story. "And so," he tried to stifle his laughter, but a snort escaped, "Caitlyn is going into labor, trying to get to the doctor's office, and she's fighting off a band of Scythein dracanae! She's grabbing her belly with one hand and stabbing with the other! And here I am, watching the scene through Iris message with my mouth hanging open in horror," he gasped for breath, laughing uncontrollably. "Watching my wife and almost-born child fighting through the hospital apartment! I mean, labor isn't enough for one demigod! They have to be attacked, too!"

Connor let out a hoot and they all wiped tears from their eyes. Halfblood horror stories were more like jokes to the group. The laughter immediately deflated, however, as the door slowly opened.

At the entrance stood a tall boy with blonde hair and a jagged scar running down his cheek.

"Luke," Percy said softly, rising to his feet. He had been invited to the gatherings before, but this was his first time to actually make an appearance. It took a second for everyone to get over their shock and find the sense to greet him.

"Luke, it's great to see you!"

"How have you been?"

"So glad you could make it!"

Percy beamed at all his friends and the considerable effort they were making to help Luke feel comfortable. Which he most certainly was not feeling at this time.

Percy gave Luke a short pat on the back and nodded, reminding him of a conversation they had months earlier.

"_Will you ever forgive me?" Luke sighed, his hands over his head._

"_There was nothing to forgive," Percy assured him. "You died a hero. You saved Olympus. All debts have been repaid." Percy spoke with such sincerity Luke knew that he meant every word. The two had finally reached understanding, and with that, peace._

Luke finally was seated and the conversation regained the cheeriness it held before the ex-traitor's arrival. He even chipped in and idea or comment once and a while, which pleased Percy more than anything else. Maybe the son of Hermes could find his place here, among forgotten grudges and old friendships. No one should have to live an afterlife alone, and Luke was no exception.

Clarisse was halfway through a story of the time she was assaulted by her child's counselor halfway through their conference (who turned out to be an empousa) when the doorknob turned ever so slightly. Percy leaned forward on the edge of his chair in anticipation. No one else seemed to notice the movement, but suddenly the door creaked open to reveal no other than-

Annabeth. Percy's heart froze. She looked no younger than the day they got married, and certainly no less beautiful. But it wasn't her appearance that stopped his breath, it was her presence. Annabeth. _Here. _And suddenly he was running, running as fast as he could to throw his arms around her, cradle her small neck in his chest, let their scents mingle into one the way they hadn't in six years. Six years of waiting, over.

Her absence had slowly started to suck his soul away, but now she was here- so beautiful and so _real_. Percy didn't fight the tears flowing freely down his face but instead wiped the tears from her soft cheeks. Their gazes locked, deep sea green and dark stormy gray, and Percy could see a thin layer of sorrow beyond the joy in her glossy eyes. He grieved for his wife, for their children and grandchildren she had finally left behind, the beloved places she could never revisit, the people like Thalia and Chiron who she would not be able to see for a long, long time. He knew the pain would be great.

But not now. Now they were reunited; a bridge had been built across death's abyss and Annabeth had crossed it to where Percy waited on the other side. Now their fingers laced together, their tears mingled into one, their lips were pressed together. Annabeth was finally where she belonged: beside the man she loved. The two were finally complete. And as their cheeks brushed gently against each other, Percy's warm breath whispered in her ear.

"You're home."

**The end! I suppose the title of this chapter is appropriate since the story is completed as well. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Again, thank you for reading and reviewing, your opinion is what kept up my steady updating. **

**Be sure to check out my other stories and leave a final review! It would mean the world to me. I hope I've left you with something substantive to chew on, or have illuminated you in one way or another. It's my ambition as a writer to leave you with a light :) **

**-Just a girl with ideas**


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